A Second Chance
by Viktoryus
Summary: Regina's night has gone well. Everyone she loves is in the same room and celebrating her. But yet, she feels as though she is missing an integral part to her happiness. This is just a short moment between Snow and Regina-something that I sincerely hoped happened after Regina's coronation ceremony. Story is mine, but characters are not. One-shot.


Regina has a perfectly clear view of Emma from where she is sitting. She watches as her best friend dances with her husband and it brings a sad smile to her face. Though she tries, she is unable to pull her eyes away from the blonde, so she continues watching as Killian pulls her closer into him while she laughs about something that he is whispering into her ear. This makes Regina flinch and she quickly turns away to look down at the plate of food that she has hardly touched.

Snow notices Regina's reaction and reaches over and touches her arm lightly. "Hey, it seems like you have a lot on your mind." She says hesitantly, already knowing in her heart the real reason why Regina has kept to herself for most of the coronation celebration. "Everyone is here to celebrate you tonight, but you don't seem very happy."

Regina smiles easily at Snow. "That's nonsense. I am ecstatic. This night… everything about it, it's perfect." She says, willing herself to believe the words she has just spoken, so that Snow will believe them also. She turns away again and looks blankly into the crowd. Then she focuses her attention on finding Henry, either one of them, hoping that it will calm the storm of emotions that are brewing inside of her.

Snow frowns as she thinks about the moment right before the crowning, the moment when Regina scanned the crowd of people to look for the one face that she longed to see the most. Then, she remembers the visible disappointment that followed when she had to tell her that Emma was not in the room. She thinks about how strange it is for her to be in this position now, sitting in front of a woman that was once not only her evil stepmother, but the woman that wanted for so long to rip the heart from inside her chest. They have come so far from that. Regina has become her confidante, one of her best friends, and to see her this way now, still hurting after all of her other many tribulations, just saddens Snow even more. She looks from Regina to the crowd of people on the dance floor and focuses on her daughter and son-in-law. They have stopped dancing now, and are engaged in conversation with Granny, the older woman holding Hope in her arms. _How could Emma be so blind?_ The thought makes her more upset than she is expecting and in true Snow White fashion, she speaks aloud without thinking about the repercussions. "Regina, you should have told her how you felt about her years ago."

Regina whips her head around with her eyes wide and full of fear. "How did you…" She stops when she realizes that she is not entirely sure whom Snow is even referring to. When she sees the knowing look on Snow's face however, her shoulders slump for a moment before she sighs. "I-"

"Regina, I know that in general, I'm oblivious to many things, but when it comes to my children, I try to be as observant as possible. And both David and I see the way that you look at Emma. We've seen that look for a very long time."

Slightly embarrassed but mostly shocked, Regina shakes her head. "Snow, I-"

Snow reaches up again and puts her hand on top of Regina's. As she gives it a few reassuring pats, she smiles. "If you're worried that I'm upset about it, I'm not. Neither of us are. Regina, for a very long time now, you and I have been good. I know that we've been through a lot, and it took a lot of patience and forgiveness on both sides for us to get to where we are now. I will never be proud of the things that I did that caused, and may still cause so much of your pain and suffering, but I'm at peace with it as I believe that you are as well. You're so different from who you were before, and that is why without a doubt, this night means so much to everyone in this room." Snow can see a sadness in Regina's eyes, but she pushes to finish her thought. "Emma included. And I don't think that there is anyone here tonight that is more proud of you than she is."

Regina swallows the lump that has formed in her throat. "I know that…" She finally says quietly. And she does know it. She knows that Emma has and always will be her rock. That may not have always been something that she believed, especially in the very early stages of their budding friendship, but she knows now that Emma was always on her side. And somehow, that makes her feel worse. It makes everything hurt more because Emma trusts her, and her feelings for the blonde feels like a betrayal of sorts. She glances over into the crowd again and finds Emma immediately. Her best friend looks so happy with her family, and Regina knows it is because she has her happy ending. It would be unfair and selfish to burden Emma with the truth.

Snow, still holding Regina's hand, gives it a light squeeze to grab her attention once again. "I can see that you feel conflicted, but she deserved to know years ago, and she still deserves to know now."

Regina scoffs at this. "Snow, no offense, but some things are better left unsaid. Some things…" She emphasizes, but with a hint of playfulness. "...get you into a lot of trouble when you say them aloud."

Snow chuckles at Regina's jab. "Touche."

Regina continues before Snow can speak up again. "And she's happy. Every single time that I almost told her, I had to remind myself of how happy she looked. Right before the wedding when her and I were in her bedroom together, and I was helping her with the veil, I did almost confess. But, I lost my nerve and I regret it. And it hurt for a long time. It wasn't until I left Storybrooke that I began to feel better. And for the last few years, being in a completely different realm and without my memories of her, I felt so free of that regret. Who knew that Gothel's curse would work out so favorably for me?" She says half-smiling. "But, here I am once again, it seems."

This makes Snow's heart so heavy. She has known for a long time about Regina's feelings for her daughter and she wishes that she would have been as receptive of it at first glance as she is now. In truth, the possibility of it scared her even though she is not entirely sure why. But, over time, she realized that it makes a lot of sense. They are both Henry's mothers and they have both been to hell and back, quite literally, for each other. Emma even took on the darkness for Regina just to save her from it. There was, is, nothing that the two of them could not conquer without each other's love and support, and she wishes that she would have urged Regina to be honest much sooner. To save her all this pain. "You know, Regina, you deserve to be happy, too."

"Well, there is nothing that makes me happier than seeing the people that I love happy." Regina replies, with another one of her unconvincing smiles. "And she is so happy, isn't she?" Regina asks but she already knows her answer. "What kind of friend would I be to ruin that for her?"

"Yes, she is happy." Snow replies confidently with a nod. "But, she could be happier. And so could you, Regina. Everyone, including Killian, deserves their best chance at happiness. I don't think that it was by sheer coincidence that you were brought back to this time. I think that it is fate giving you another chance to tell Emma how you feel about her before it is too late to turn it all around."

Regina stares at Snow then, speechless, and her heart suddenly pounding. "A second chance…" She says barely above a whisper.

Snow smiles. "Yes, a second chance for both you and Emma."


End file.
